Written Answers Tuesday 4 November 2008

Scottish Executive

Alcohol Misuse

Richard Baker (North East Scotland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many pupils have been suspended for alcohol-related issues in each local authority area in the last year.

Maureen Watt: The available information on the number of pupils of temporarily excluded from school for "Substance misuse – alcohol" in 2006-07, is given in the following table.

  

 Local Authority
 Number of Pupils


 Aberdeen City
 14


 Aberdeenshire
 25


 Angus
 19


 Argyll and Bute
 30


 Clackmannanshire
 1


 Dumfries and Galloway
 6


 Dundee City
 6


 East Ayrshire
 8


 East Dunbartonshire
 13


 East Lothian
 2


 Edinburgh, City of
 6


 Eilean Siar
 1


 Falkirk
 24


 Fife
 13


 Glasgow City
 22


 Highland
 33


 Inverclyde
 3


 Midlothian
 3


 Moray
 8


 North Ayrshire
 4


 North Lanarkshire
 18


 Perth and Kinross
 18


 Renfrewshire
 6


 Scottish Borders
 13


 South Ayrshire
 10


 South Lanarkshire
 10


 West Dunbartonshire
 3


 West Lothian
 10


 Total 
 329



  Note: Two pupils were temporarily excluded twice for alcohol misuse, so the total figure is two less than the figure in the statistical bulletin "Exclusions from Schools 2006-07".

Alcohol Misuse

Richard Baker (North East Scotland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many people under the age of 18 have had alcohol confiscated in the last four years in each police force area.

Kenny MacAskill: There are no statistics held centrally on the number of alcohol confiscations in Scotland in any given year. Only confiscations that subsequently lead to an offence under section 61 of the Crime and Punishment (Scotland) Act 1997 are recorded.

  Section 61(1) of this act provides powers for the police to confiscate alcohol from under 18s in a public place and dispose of it. Where this happens, it is not an offence and is not included in the centrally collated Police Recorded Crime statistics. It only becomes an offence if the young person refuses to comply with the requirement, e.g. by failing to hand over the drink or by failing to give his name and address.

Alcohol Misuse

Richard Baker (North East Scotland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many (a) reported incidents, (b) prosecutions and (c) convictions there have been in the last year, where alcohol was a contributory factor.

Kenny MacAskill: Information on whether alcohol was a contributory factor is only routinely reported for homicide cases. Information for 2006-07 indicates that 65 persons (39%) accused of homicide were under the influence of alcohol at the time of the offence.

  The only data available for other crimes related to alcohol is where the involvement of alcohol is implicit in the offence.

Civil Service Relocation

Peter Peacock (Highlands and Islands) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what weight is given to the social and economic opportunities that communities gain through government job relocations in deciding whether to proceed with a particular job relocation project.

John Swinney: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-17032 on 3 November 2008. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search .

Flood Prevention

Trish Godman (West Renfrewshire) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the regular dredging of the River Clyde forms part of flood prevention schemes for land bordering both sides of the river.

Stewart Stevenson: No.

Forth Crossing

Helen Eadie (Dunfermline East) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has set a timetable for the construction of the replacement of the Forth Road Bridge.

Stewart Stevenson: Yes. We are operating to the timetable for the construction of the Forth Replacement Crossing set out by the Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Sustainable Growth in December 2007.

  The timetable envisages construction commencing in 2011 and an opening date of late 2016.

General Practitioners

Dr Richard Simpson (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether data recording systems in NHS24, out-of-hours services and GP practices are fit for purpose in auditing child injuries as part of the European Commission Child Safety Action Plan project.

Nicola Sturgeon: The data recording systems in NHS24, out-of-hours services and GP practices are not currently able to provide the statistics to inform the European Commission Child Safety Action Plan project.

  The focus of the Child Safety Action Plan is the prevention of unintentional injuries. The out-of-hours service (OOHS) can record injuries and this information is forwarded to the GP practice the following working day. If NHS24 refers a patient to the OOHS the data will be recorded by the OOHS and be available to GP practices.

  It is for NHS boards to decide which of the injury data standards they collect and record for childhood injuries. ISD Scotland and the Scottish Government are consulting with NHS boards to consider options for national recording of injury data.

Housing

Malcolm Chisholm (Edinburgh North and Leith) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive when announcements will be made about its shared equity scheme.

Stewart Maxwell: Further details about the Home Owners Support Fund, including the new Mortgage to Shared Equity scheme, will be announced in December.

  Mortgage to Rent will continue to help those home owners facing repossession to sell their house to a social landlord and become a tenant. Mortgage to Shared Equity will help home owners facing financial difficulty, and who have built up a level of equity in their property, to retain ownership by reducing the level of debt secured against their home to a more manageable level.

Housing

Malcolm Chisholm (Edinburgh North and Leith) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the shared equity scheme will benefit only those already living in a shared equity property.

Stewart Maxwell: Further details of the government’s Home Owners Support Fund, including Mortgage to Shared Equity, will be announced in December.

  Mortgage to Shared Equity is not intended to benefit existing LIFT shared equity owners, as these owners will be allowed to adjust their stakes downwards if they’re in mortgage difficulties, as announced by the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Wellbeing on 25 June.

Housing

Malcolm Chisholm (Edinburgh North and Leith) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive to what extent legal aid is available for homeowners seeking a delay in home repossessions under the Mortgage Rights (Scotland) Act 2001.

Stewart Maxwell: The Scottish Government takes the issue of home repossessions very seriously and funds a number of measures to assist individuals and families who are in danger of losing their homes. Free or subsidised legal advice and representation is available through the legal aid scheme subject to the statutory eligibility rules. Free advice is provided to unassisted litigants in seven sheriff courts through the In Court Advice service.

Justice

Bill Aitken (Glasgow) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many people were charged with offences involving the carrying of knives and, of these, how many (a) pled not guilty to these offences, (b) having been charged were admitted to bail pending trial, (c) who pled guilty to the charges and whose sentences being deferred were admitted to bail, (d) who pled guilty to the charges and whose sentences being deferred were remanded in custody, (e) whose sentences being deferred following conviction were admitted to bail, (f) whose sentences being deferred following conviction were remanded in custody, and (g) were sentenced to imprisonment or detention in the 12 months to 30 June 2008 in (i) Glasgow, (ii) Edinburgh, (iii) Dundee and (iv) Aberdeen.

Kenny MacAskill: The information requested could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

Justice

Bill Aitken (Glasgow) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many people appeared on a petition alleging homicide involving the use of knives and, of these people, how many were (a) remanded in custody pending trial and (b) admitted to bail on being fully committed in the 12 months to 30 June 2008 in (i) Glasgow, (ii) Edinburgh, (iii) Dundee and (iv) Aberdeen.

Kenny MacAskill: The information requested is not held centrally.

National Health Service

Dr Richard Simpson (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-15294 by Nicola Sturgeon on 22 August 2008, whether the NHS boards that are not using the nationally procured EDIS system for accident and emergency information have systems that are compatible with it for recording injuries in children.

Nicola Sturgeon: There is no requirement for A&E (accident and emergency) systems from NHS boards, who do not use the nationally procured EDIS, to be compatible with any version of EDIS which may be in use.

  It is for NHS boards to decide which of the injury data standards they collect and record for childhood injuries. The collection of data is not dependent on the system used. ISD Scotland and the Scottish Government are consulting with NHS boards to consider options for national recording of injury data.

  The National Clinical Dataset Development Programme (NCDDP) recently carried out a survey across NHS boards to ask which of the 15 injury data standards had been implemented.

  Further work is currently being carried out to ascertain which of the A&E core data standards have been implemented by NHS boards.

Police

George Foulkes (Lothians) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive on which occasions since May 2007 Scottish police forces have pursued suspects or carried out investigations beyond their areas of operation and under what authority such action was taken.

Kenny MacAskill: This information is not held centrally.

Rail Network

Helen Eadie (Dunfermline East) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what consultation has been undertaken regarding a scheme that would take trains into Gogar with a tram interchange.

Stewart Stevenson: Transport Scotland is leading the project to establish an interchange between rail and tram in the Gogar area. Preliminary consultation with local land owners including the City of Edinburgh Council, Network Rail and TIE Ltd (Edinburgh Tram project) has taken place. As is normal for projects of this nature, a consultation strategy is under development to take the project through its subsequent stages.

Renewable Energy

Lewis Macdonald (Aberdeen Central) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answers to questions S3W-6313 and S3W-6314 by Jim Mather on 11 December and 29 November 2007 respectively, what progress has been made on discussions with representatives from Ofgem about proposals for the connection of Scotland’s offshore renewable generation capacity to electricity markets elsewhere in Europe.

Lewis Macdonald (Aberdeen Central) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with UK ministers regarding the connection of renewable generation capacity to electricity markets.

Jim Mather: We are progressing studies on the potential for electricity grid connections with Northern Ireland and Ireland, and across the North Sea. Discussions have taken place with officials from the now Department of Energy and Climate Change, and from Ofgem, on the scope of such work.

  The First Minister wrote to Gordon Brown on 8 October to urge that subsea interconnection is included in the European Council’s forthcoming Strategic Energy Review, and we await with interest to see whether this recommendation has been accepted.

Renewable Energy

Lewis Macdonald (Aberdeen Central) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-6312 by Jim Mather on 29 November 2007, what progress has been made on discussions with the Norwegian Government on proposals for the connection of Scotland’s offshore renewable generation capacity to electricity markets in Norway or elsewhere in Europe.

Jim Mather: We have now completed a pre-scoping study on the potential for grid links from Scotland across the North Sea and will be using it as the basis for discussions with potential partners, including Norway, to carry out further feasibility work.

Renewable Energy

Lewis Macdonald (Aberdeen Central) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive with which national governments it has had discussions about proposals for the connection of Scotland’s offshore renewable generation capacity.

Jim Mather: Earlier this year the Scottish Government applied through the European Spatial Planning Observation Network (ESPON), along with the governments of Germany and the Netherlands, for funding to undertake a Territorial Impact Assessment of grid links across the North Sea.

  I met recently with the Norwegian Energy Minister to discuss a number of renewable energy matters of mutual interest to Scotland and Norway, including potential offshore grid links.

Renewable Energy

Lewis Macdonald (Aberdeen Central) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what feasibility studies it has carried out into the connection of Scotland’s offshore renewable generation with electricity markets elsewhere in Europe.

Jim Mather: The Scottish Government is involved in two feasibility studies which aim to help to make the business case for future commercial investment in offshore electricity grid connections.

  The Irish-Scottish Links on Energy Study (ISLES) explores potential grid links to exploit the offshore renewables resource in the Atlantic coasts of Scotland, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. A pre-scoping study has been completed, and funding for a full feasibility study has been agreed by the European Commission. We currently await a formal grant offer from the Commission in order for the feasibility study to be carried out with our Irish and Northern Irish partners.

  Another pre-scoping study has been completed, examining the potential for grid connections across the North Sea, off the coasts of the north and east coasts of Scotland and the west coasts of Norway, Sweden, Denmark, the Netherlands and the north coast of Germany. The Scottish Government is now seeking potential partners for a full feasibility study to take place.

Renewable Energy

Liam McArthur (Orkney) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what analysis it has made of the impact of the research and development funding schemes for marine energy recently established in Ireland and the United States of America on the likelihood of tidal and wave technology companies locating in Scotland.

Jim Mather: We believe that the availability of support for marine energy in other countries, as well as in Scotland, is a positive development. Additional support for these technologies across the world will create tremendous opportunities for companies to export their devices from Scotland - as some are already doing.

  We believe that the combination of the huge potential resource in Scotland and the incentives we are providing will continue to attract considerable research, development and operational activity to Scotland.

Respite Care

Rhona Brankin (Midlothian) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what proportion of the SNP’s manifesto commitment to an additional 10,000 respite weeks per year will be for families of disabled children.

Nicola Sturgeon: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-15631 on 3 September 2008. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at: http://scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search

Scottish Government

George Foulkes (Lothians) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive which firms of solicitors and which advocates have provided legal advice to Scottish ministers in 2007-08 and what has been the cost in each case.

Kenny MacAskill: The undernoted firms provided legal advice to the Scottish ministers between April 2007 and March 2008. The total cost of that advice was £1,899,411.18. This figure includes fees charged by firms whose total fees during that period amounted to less than £1,000 (not listed), as well as VAT and outlays.

  The undernoted advocates provided legal advice to the Scottish ministers during the same period. The cost of that advice was £952,481.09, including VAT.

  Law Firms

  DLA Piper

  Harper MacLeod

  Currie Gilmour

  Pagan Osbourne

  Simpson & Marwick

  Ledingham Chalmers

  MacLay Murray & Spens

  Balfour & Manson

  Brodies

  Dundas & Wilson

  Morton Fraser

  Anderson Strathern

  Pinsent Masons

  Shepherd & Wedderburn

  Advocates

  Paul Cullen QC

  A Dewar QC

  I Duguid QC

  R Keen QC

  C Campbell QC (the Hon. Lord Malcolm)

  G Moynihan QC

  R Martin QC

  S Woolman QC (the Hon Lord Woolman)

  G Bell QC

  R Anderson QC

  J Wolffe QC

  C MacNeill QC

  L Murphy QC

  J Mure

  R Crawford

  A Hardman

  G Hawkes

  B Heaney

  A Poole

  D Ross

  D Sheldon

  S Smith

  K Springham

  D Thomson

  J Cherry

  A Duncan

  I Ennis

  K McBrearty

  E MacKenzie

  M O’Carroll

  A Summers

  A Devlin

  A McSporran

  P McCormack

  A Webster.

Sport

Jamie Hepburn (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what advice it provides to local authorities about the siting and development of multi-use games areas.

Stewart Maxwell: Advice and guidance on the development of multi-use games areas is provided in Scottish Planning Policy 11: Open Space and Physical Activity (Bib. number 46842) which provides guidance on planning for development of new indoor and outdoor facilities for sport and recreation.

  Sportscotland has published advice and guidance on a wide range of topics in relation to the development of sports facilities including planning, design and construction. Sportscotland also has developed a Facilities Planning Model as a planning tool to inform decisions about the provision of community sports facilities.

Sport

Jamie Hepburn (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what assessment it has made of the impact of multi-use games areas where they have replaced grass or other surfaced areas.

Stewart Maxwell: As a statutory consultee, sportscotland would be involved in the consideration of planning applications for the development of multi-use games areas where they are proposed on playing fields or other sports facilities as listed in Scottish Planning Policy 11: Open Space and Physical Activity (Bib. number 46842). Any potential impact on the existing facilities would be a material consideration for sportscotland.